• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.20-25
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• 2011

This work focuses on the behavior of the overpotential increase due to a utilization rise in a molten carbonate fuel cell. The behavior is generally explained by Nernst loss, which is a kind of voltage loss due to the thermodynamic potential gradients in a polarization state due to the concentration distribution of reactant species through the gas flow direction. The evaluation of Nernst loss is carried out with a traditional experimental method of constant gas utilization (CU). On the other hand, overpotential due to the gas-phase mass-transport resistance at the anode and cathode shows dependence on the utilization, which can be measured using the inert gas step addition (ISA) method. Since the Nernst loss is assumed to be due to the thermodynamic reasons, the voltage loss can be calculated by the Nernst equation, referred to as a simple calculation (SC) in this work. The three values of voltage loss due to CU, ISA, and SC are compared, showing that these values rise with increases in the utilization within acceptable deviations. When we consider that the anode and cathode reactions are significantly affected by the gas-phase mass transfer, the behavior strongly implies that the voltage loss is attributable not to thermodynamic reasons, namely Nernst loss, but to the kinetic reason of mass-transfer resistance in the gas phase.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제32권6호
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• pp.442-454
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• 2021

The porous transport layer (PTL) is essential to effectively remove oxygen and hydrogen gas from the electrode surface at high current density operation conditions. In this study, the effect of PTL with different characteristics such as pore size, pore gradient, interfacial coating was investigated by multi-layered sintered mesh. A water electrolysis single cell of active area of the 34.56 cm² was constructed, and IV performance and impedance analysis were conducted in the range of 0 to 2.0 A/cm². It was confirmed that the multi-layered sintered mesh PTL, which have an average pore size of 25 to 57 ㎛ and a larger pore gradient, removed bubbles effectively and thus seemed to improve IV performance. Also, it was confirmed that the catalytic metals such as Ni, NiMo coating on the PTL reduced activation overpotential, but increased mass transport overpotential.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• 제54권6호
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• pp.847-853
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• 2016

본 연구에서는 3차원 전산유체역학 모델을 적용하여 서펜타인 유로를 갖는 고분자 전해질 분리막(PEM) 연료전지의 성능평가를 수행하였다. PEM 연료전지의 전산 모델은 등온조건하에서의 이동현상을 고려하여, 물질 및 운동량 전달, 전극에서의 반응속도론 그리고 전기적 흐름을 모두 포함하였다. 한편, 병류로 흐르도록 형성된 구조의 유로 형태는 본 연료전지모델에서 유로의 폭과 높이의 비인 종횡비와 유로와 립 폭의 비인 반응면적비를 변화시키며 다양한 형상으로 고려되었다. 유로의 형상이 변화될 경우 연료전지 내부의 수소와 산소의 질량분율 분포가 계산되었으며, 이에 따라, 활성화과전압의 계산 값이 변하게 되며 전류밀도 분포가 최종적으로 결정되었다. CFD 결과는 종횡비가 클수록 성능이 증가하고 반응면적비가 클수록 성능이 감소하는 것을 보였다. 본 연구의 모델에 의하면 서펜타인 유로의 형상에 의해, 성능특성이 경향성을 보이는 결과를 보여주었으며, 이와같은 결과는 다른 문헌에 보고 된 CFD 결과들과 전반적으로 잘 부합하는 것으로 나타났다.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2006년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.490-493
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• 2006

The results of simulation of direct methane fuel cell fed with liquid-state methanol feed are shown. This numerical process is based on mass and current conservation equations. The results showed that over low current density $(<200mA/cm^2)$ IV polarization curve was well-presented compared to experimental result. Methanol fed from anodic side moved into cathodic side through electrolyte membrane and the pressure near cathode electrode increased according to amount of methanol crossover and production of water. Besides change of overpotential on each el electrode were checked by x-axis.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2011년도 춘계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.95.2-95.2
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• 2011

In order to achieve high performance and low cost for commercial applications, the development of membrane electrode assemblies (MEA), in which the electrochemical reactions actually occur, must be optimized. Expensive platinum is currently used as an electrochemical catalyst due to its high activity. Although various platinum alloys and non-platinum catalysts are under development, their stabilities and catalytic activities, especially in terms of the oxygen reduction (ORR), render them currently unsuitable for practical use. Therefore, it is important to decrease platinum loading by optimizing the catalysts and electrode microstructure. In this study, we prepared several different MEAs (non-uniform Nafion$^{(R)}$ ionomer loading electrode) which have dual catalyst layers to find the optimal Nafion$^{(R)}$ ionomer distribution in the electrodes. We changed Nafion$^{(R)}$ ionomer content in the layers to find the ideal composition of the binder and Pt/C in the electrode. For MEAs with various ionomer contents in the anodes and cathodes, the electrochemical activity (activation overpotential) and the mass transport properties (concentration overpotential) were analyzed and correlated with the single cell performance. The dual catalyst layers MEA showed higher cell performance than uniformly fabricated MEA, especially at the high current density region.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2008년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.33-36
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• 2008

The transient behavior of a passive air breathing direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) operated on vapor-feeding mode is studied in this paper. It generally takes 30 minutes after starting for the cell response to come to its steady-state and the response is sometimes unstable. A mathematical dynamic one-dimensional model for simulating transient response of the DMFC is presented. In this model a DMFC is decomposed into its subsystems using lumped model and divided into five layers, namely the anodic diffusion layer, the anodic catalyst layer, the proton exchange membrane (PEM), the cathodic catalyst layer and the cathodic diffusion layer. All layers are considered to have finite thickness, and within every one of them a set of differential-algebraic governing equations are given to represent multi-components mass balance, such as methanol, water, oxygen and carbon dioxide, charge balance, the electrochemical reaction and mass transport phenomena. A one-dimensional, isothermal and mass transport model is developed that captures the coupling between water generation and transport, oxygen consumption and natural convection. The single cell is supplied by pure methanol vapor from a methanol reservoir at the anode, and the oxygen is supplied via natural air-breathing at the cathode. The water is not supplied from external source because the cell uses the water created at the cathode using water back diffusion through nafion membrane. As a result of simulation strong effects of water transport were found out. The model analysis provides several conclusions. The performance drop after peak point is caused by insufficiency of water at the anode. The excess water at the cathode makes performance recovery impossible. The undesired crossover of the reactant methanol through the PEM causes overpotential at the cathode and limits the feeding methanol concentration.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2011년도 추계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.82.2-82.2
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• 2011

A channel design which is closely related with the mass transport overpotential is one of the most important procedures to optimize the whole fuel cell performance. In this study, three dimensional results of a numerical study for gas distribution in channels of a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) unit cell for a 1kW class stack was presented. The relationship between the fuel and air distribution in the anode and cathode channels of the unit cell and the electric performance was observed. A charge balance model in the electrodes and the electrolyte coupled with a heat transfer model and a fluid flow model in the porous electrodes and the channels was solved for the mass, momentum, energy, species and charge conservation. The electronic and ionic charge balance in the anode and cathode current feeders, the electrolyte and GDEs were solved for using Ohm's law, while Butler-Volmer charge transfer kinetics described the charge transfer current density. The material transport was described by the diffusion and convection equations and Navier-Stokes equations govern the flow in the open channel. It was assumed that heat is produced by the electrochemical reactions and joule heating due to the electrical currents.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제39권10호
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• pp.591-598
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• 2017

촉매 코팅하지 않은 탄소전극(graphite felt)을 이용한 미생물연료전지에서 전력 오버슈트 현상이 발생하였으며 환원전위의 손실이 대부분의 전압 감소 원인으로 파악되었다. 이를 해결하고자 백금-탄소 촉매 코팅한 탄소전극과 싸고 고전도성을 지닌 스테인리스강 수세미 전극을 사용하여 전력 오버슈트 현상 극복과 전압손실에 대한 분석을 하였다. 백금-탄소 촉매 코팅한 탄소전극을 환원전극으로 이용한 미생물연료전지에서는 여전히 전력오버슈트가 발생하였지만 스테인리스강 수세미 전극에서는 낮은 환원용액 공급유속에서도 전력 오버슈트가 발생하지 않았으며 29% 가량의 증가된 최대전력밀도 값($23.9A/m^3$)을 얻을 수 있었다. 탄소전극을 사용한 미생물연료전지의 전력 오버슈트는 환원용액의 유입유속을 증가시킴에 따라 해결할 수 있었다. 또한 탄소전극과 스테인리스강 수세미 전극을 이용한 미생물연료전지 모두 유속 증가에 따라 최대전력밀도 값과 최대전류밀도 값이 2-3.5배 가량 증가하였다. 유입유속 증가에 따른 전압손실을 분석한 결과 활성도 손실, 저항 손실, 물질전달 손실 모든 구간에서 미생물연료전지의 환원전위 손실이 감소하였다. 이에 따라 스테인리스강 수세미는 경제성 있고 전력오버슈트 현상을 예방하는 미생물연료전지의 환원전극으로써 좋은 재료이며 만약 환원전극 문제로 인해 전력 오버슈트 현상이 발생한다면 환원조 내부 유동을 증가시키는 것이 이를 해결할 수 있는 좋은 방법이라 판단된다.